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A Moment at the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze

10/31/2015

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The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor by John Morzen
The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor by John Morzen
The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor by John Morzen
The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor by John Morzen

All Photos by John Morzen Photography

"Over the past decade, The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson has quickly become a staple of the Halloween season in the Hudson Valley and surrounding areas. I had personally only heard whispers of it, before last year - when it quickly became obvious that I had seriously been missing out.

I tried to get tickets for it as soon as I realized the gravity of it, but that was no easy feat. It often sells out well in advance, and with good reason - it's unbelievable, in every way. It's probably unlike anything you've seen before. When I was able to get tickets for it, it was more than a week into November, but I was still set on seeing it.

I took a friend I hadn't spent time with in quite a while. We got to catch up a bit, and were both seriously impressed by the event they put on and the amount of work that goes into it, which is considerable, if not mind-boggling. If you get a chance to check it out, you'll probably be mind-boggled, too."

The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze typically runs from early October, through Mid-November. For information, click here.
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Venus, Jupiter and Mars Seen Over The Trees

10/25/2015

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Venus, Jupiter and Mars by John Morzen

Taken by John Morzen Photography

"Early Friday morning, I noticed something strange in the sky. At first it thought it was an odd-looking plane or two, and went to a website to see if there were any current aircraft in that part of the sky. There weren't, so I kept going on with my day. About 20 minutes later, I took a peek and noticed the pattern of lights were still there, which was a bit surreal. This time I used a sky map app to see what was in that part of the sky. It turned out what was I was seeing was Venus appearing incredibly bright, along with Jupiter and Mars, very close by, which I had never seen before. I told my Dad he had to see check it out, and he encouraged me I had to photograph it. Good call. I pointed my camera above the trees you see in the foreground, and got this shot of the three planets, in order of brightness."
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A Remarkable Moment in Lagrange

8/10/2015

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A Remarkable Moment in Lagrange by John Morzen

Taken by John Morzen Photography

"Pretty late last night, I found myself in Lagrange. The sky was especially nice, an inordinate amount of visible stars could be seen, along with wispy, low laying clouds here and there. I noticed this particular scene while driving, and pulled over by a field to get a shot of it with an incredibly wide-angle lens. Off in the distance you can see ground fog in front of a line of shrubs. The illumination seen on the clouds on the horizon I believe are from parking lot lights, or maybe aliens... here's hoping."

Credit: John Morzen Photography
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Blue Moon Over the Hudson Valley, July 2015

8/1/2015

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The Blue Moon Over the Hudson Valley, by John Morzen

Taken by John Morzen Photography

"The blue moon made its appearance over the Hudson Valley on Friday, July 31st. A 'blue moon', by definition, could be the fourth full moon during a 3-month season, or the second full moon in any given month. Friday's was the latter definition, and the night was absolutely gorgeous - completely clear sky, warm breeze, and all.

A friend and I headed down to the Hudson River before midnight and spent some time talking, taking in the moonlit landscape and get some photos - this was one of them.

The term 'Once in a blue moon.' is an expression for something that doesn't happen often, and with good reason - the next blue moon won't be until January 31st, 2018. As for the next blue moon to appear during the summer? That won't be until August 31st, 2023. Let's hope it'll be another clear night!"
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Twilight on the Hudson River at Cold Spring

7/28/2015

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Twilight on the Hudson River. Taken across from Storm King Mountain, by John Morzen.

Taken by John Morzen Photography

"Despite the mostly cool color palate of this image, this was actually taken on a particularly warm night. It was Monday evening, last week. I had been spending time a little further down  the river, when the moon over Storm King Mountain and clouds caught my attention while driving north. I headed back to the river and found myself taking in the scene you see here, around 9pm. The faint warm hues in the sky over Newburgh in the distance can be seen clearly - the last remnants of the day's fading sunlight."
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Street Light, Late Night - Wappingers

6/1/2015

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Street Light, Late Night, Wappingers, by John Morzen

Taken by John Morzen Photography

"As odd as it sounds, I've seen this scene dozens of times. The nighttime fog catching the light, it's beams split up by the tree in front of it. I'd often drive through this area at night and always think it was so neat, but last week, I had my camera on me, and decided to capture it. I really appreciate the stark contrast between light and dark that this shot exudes."
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Beacon Falls, at Midnight

5/5/2015

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Beacon Falls at Midnight by John Morzen

Taken by John Morzen Photography

"While visiting Beacon on Friday night, I decided to go check out the waterfalls, toward the end of Main Street. I had seen a lot of photos of them, driven past them countless times, and probably stopped a few - several years ago, but, had never been there with a camera. I was thrilled to see how they look at night, and was able to get the shot I've been wanting to for a while.

I really like how the water, lighting and even the background lights came out in this. The City of Beacon, and everything the community as a whole, is doing there, seems to get nicer, every time I visit. I highly recommend checking it out."

Credit:  John Morzen Photography

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Night Sky Over Ulster County

3/23/2015

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Night Sky Over Ulster County, New York by John Morzen

Photo Taken by John Morzen Photography

"I took this shot the evening of August 5th, 2013, over Kerhonkson, New York. If you look carefully beyond the light cloud cover, you can faintly see the Galactic Plane of the Milky Way Galaxy extending diagonally across the upper right part of the photo.

This photo was taken the night after I realized it was possible to get really decent shots of the stars with the camera I was using. That night, all I wanted to do was get solid photos of the night sky - to do that, I only wanted two things... to be far away from light sources, and be closer to the stars. So, on somewhat of a whim, I decided to set out at night with the specific goal of night photography - which I don't think I had ever done before, let alone drive an hour each way to do so.

I had told my Dad what I was planning and he questioned whether it was a good idea to drive far away at night just to take pictures (especially providing it's only a hobby of mine), but I legitimized it in my mind that many of the photographers I admire travel hundreds, if not thousands of miles away for their photography.

As for the location of where this was taken, I don't know how much time I spent in that specific area - time sort of stopped - it was maybe 2 hours or more, in almost total darkness, but this was one of the scenes I captured.

When I took it, I was actually bummed to see the clouds impeding the view of the stars (not to mention the trees being slightly lit up by an oncoming cars headlights in the distance), but now I think they give the picture a lot more character."

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Fireflies Under the Night Stars in Tivoli

3/12/2015

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Fireflies Under the Night Stars in Tivoli, by John Morzen

Photo Taken by John Morzen Photography

"On June 21st, I sort of unexpectedly found myself in Tivoli, New York. So, being the summer solstice, and an especially bright night, I figured I'd try to take some photos and see what I'd get. Little did I know I'd pretty much hit the jackpot of things to photograph, right then and there. Only... after taking maybe a dozen or two photos, my battery died.

Luckily, I had a second one on me, and saw something I really wanted to get, but, it was such an "on" night, that some other scenes caught my attention before I got to it. A little later, I made it to what seemed like it might just make for some of the most intriguing photos I've taken to date. I was looking into woods, that were filled with literally hundreds of lightning bugs, all under a canopy of stars in the sky. I felt as if I stumbled into my own photographic dream.

Though, as if a direct message from fate, itself, I wasn't to capture the amazing sight I beheld, at least not the way I expected to. My second battery failed as I was planning my shots - what are the odds? So, instead, with an inoperative camera, I just appreciated it for what it was, and took in the sight for a while - a dark, deep green forest sparkling with bioluminescence, under one of the clearest night skies I recall seeing last year.

Afterward, I called my Dad and told him about it, and how I didn't get the exact shots I wanted. He said, "What's important is that you were there to experience it actually happening - remember it well. You'll always have that memory." Excellent point.

I did, however, get one memento. This particular photo, here, would've been one I'd have thrown away - as I took it to help me adjust my settings, get my bearings and frame my upcoming shots. It was the first time I had ever photographed lightning bugs, and the last shot I gotten before my battery died - a prelude to the now un-taken photos I had envisioned. But, it gives you an idea of the moment I had found myself in."

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Night Stars Over Sylvan Lake, Hopewell Junction

2/18/2015

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Star Trails Over Sylvan Lake, Hopewell Junction, New York. Photo by Adam David Rivera.

Photo Taken by Adam David Rivera

"Being an avid night photographer has its disadvantages. The abyss of darkness, the memory of solitude, bone shattering freezing temperatures and the occasional friendly cop, who shows up and asks me why I endure it all. This photograph is one of the reasons why. Taken at Sylvan Lake Beach Park on December 19, 2014. This composition is a 43 image stacked composite. The star trails depicted here show the rotation of the earth during a two hour period above the Lake. I have ambitions of becoming a professional at capturing the Milky Way Galaxy looming above The Hudson Valley in the coming months. If you would like to see any more of my work visit https://www.facebook.com/ARiveraPhotoDesign."
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